Nov. 7, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Game Data... The Navy Midshipmen (5-3), coming off a 49-21 victory over Tulane, travel to South Bend, Ind. to take on the seventh-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2) Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium (80,795). A win over Notre Dame would make the Midshipmen bowl eligible and a virtual lock to receive a school-record third-consecutive bowl bid. Saturday's game is being televised live by NBC with Tom Hammonds and Pat Haden calling the action and Lewis Johnson serving as the sideline reporter. The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Radio/Westwood One with Hall of Fame broadcaster Tony Roberts and Notre Dame great Allen Pinkett calling the action. The game can also be heard on the Navy Radio Network, which includes WBAL in Baltimore (1090 AM), Sportstalk 980 in Washington, D.C. (980 AM), and WNAV in Annapolis (1430 AM). The game can also be heard nationally on Sirius Radio (Channel 125 for the Navy broadcast and Channel 126 for the Notre Dame broadcast) or around the world at www.navysports.com, www.wbal.com, www.sportstalk980.com and www.wnav.com. Armed Forces Radio will carry the game live to our troops stationed around the world. Bob Socci and Omar Nelson will call all the action from South Bend beginning with the Navy Football Pregame Show at 12 noon. Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will get things started with the Navy Tailgate Show on 1430 WNAV and www.wnav.com at 11 a.m.
Mids Jump On Tulane Early And Often In 49-17 Rout... Navy scored 28 first quarter points en route to a 49-21 victory in front of 33,608 fans on Homecoming at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium last Saturday. Lamar Owens (Sr./Savannah, Ga.) scored on touchdown runs of eight and one yard, while Marco Nelson (Sr./Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Matt Hall (Jr./Cape Coral, Fla.) added touchdown runs of 38 and two yards, respectively, in Navy's first-quarter outburst. The Navy defense and special teams had a critical role in setting up a short field for the Navy offense. Navy's first score was set up by a 20-yard punt return by Jason Tomlinson (Jr./Arlington, Texas), the second when Byron McCoy (Jr./Liberty, Mo.) caused a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that was recovered by Tye Adams (Jr./Blackfoot, Idaho), Navy's third score was set up by a Greg Thrasher (So./Carrollton, Texas) interception and the fourth touchdown was set up by a David Mahoney (Jr./Fort Myers, Fla.) interception. Navy's final touchdown of the game came on a 39-yard interception return by Ketric Buffin (Fr./Rowlett, Texas.). Hall led the Navy offense with 109 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries. Owens added 80 yards and three scores on 16 carries. Owens attempted just two passes, completing one for 29 yards. The defense was led by Rob Caldwell (Jr./St. John, Ind.) with nine tackles. Tyler Tidwell (Jr./Edmond, Okla.) added seven tackles and a sack.
Notes From The Tulane Game *Navy's 71 carries in the game were a season high.
*Navy's one pass completion and three pass attempts are both season lows.
*Lamar Owens' (Sr./Savannah, Ga.) three touchdowns against the Green Wave mark the second time this year that a Navy player has scored three touchdowns in a game. Marco Nelson (Sr./Scottsdale, Ariz.) scored three against Stanford.
*Sophomore corner Greg Thrasher (Carrollton, Texas) picked off his second pass of the season in the first quarter.
*Marco Nelson's 38-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the longest of his career.
*Navy's 28 first-quarter points are the most points in the first quarter by a Navy team since Nov. 22, 2003, when the Mids scored 28 enroute to a 63-34 victory over Central Michigan.
*Junior outside linebacker David Mahoney (Fort Myers, Fla.) picked off his first pass of the season and third of his career in the first quarter.
*Freshman Ketric Buffin's (Rowlett, Texas) 39-yard interception return for a touchdown was the longest interception return by a Navy player this year, it was Buffin's first collegiate interception and it was the first interception returned for a touchdown by a Navy player since last year's Army-Navy game when Josh Smith turned the trick.
*Navy forced a season-high four turnovers in the game.
Scouting Notre Dame... The Fighting Irish, ranked No. 7 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll, are having a remarkable season led by National Coach-of-the-Year candidate Charlie Weis and Heisman Trophy candidate Brady Quinn. Quinn leads the Notre Dame offense, completing 65 percent of his passes for 2,647 yards and 23 touchdowns. In 299 pass attempts, Quinn has thrown just four interceptions. Quinn's favorite target is All-American candidate Jeff Samardzija, who has 51 catches for 877 yards and 12 touchdowns. Maurice Stovall has recorded 42 catches for 666 yards and six touchdowns. The Irish also feature a potent rushing attack as Darius Walker has rushed for 679 yards and three touchdowns on 157 carries. The Irish are fifth in the nation in passing offense (334.38), 10th in total offense (474.00), seventh in scoring offense (38.25) and fourth in passing efficiency (161.13). Individually, Quinn is sixth in pass efficiency (162.29) and fourth in total offense (339.88), while Samardzija is fourth in receiving yards per game (109.63), Safety Tom Zbikowski, who was recruited by the Naval Academy, has returned two punts and two interceptions for touchdowns. Zbikowski is averaging 19.7 yards per punt return and 35.8 yards per interception return. The Irish are fourth in the country in punt returns (19.69), while individually Zbikowski is third in the nation in punt returns (19.69) and ninth in interceptions (0.50).
Series History... Notre Dame leads the all-time series, which is the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the country, 68-9-1 and the Irish have won 41 straight, which is an NCAA record for wins by one opponent over another. Notre Dame is 25-3 against Navy at Notre Dame Stadium. The Mids have had opportunities to win in South Bend in four of their last five trips, losing 27-24 (2003), 28-24 (1999), 21-17 (1997) and 35-17 (1995). Notre Dame and Navy first met on the football field in 1927, while Knute Rockne was the Irish head coach. But to truly understand the Notre Dame-Navy series requires a trip back to the 1940s, when Frank Leahy had the Irish on top of the football world. Leahy coached the Irish to a national championship in 1943, his third year as head coach, just before enlisting with the Navy to serve in World War II. Following the war, Leahy and the Irish picked up right where they had left off, going four entire seasons without a loss and claiming national championships in 1946, 1947 and 1949. But World War II cost Notre Dame a lot more than its talented head coach and a slew of players (including 1943 Heisman Trophy winner Angelo Bertelli). It virtually wiped out the small, all-male school. The University was having terrible financial problems, and as an all-male school with so many young men being drafted and going off to war, there was almost nobody left to attend the University. As part of the war effort, the Navy needed more officers than the Naval Academy was able to produce in a short period of time. So a decision was made to utilize a number of institutions across the nation in which young men would attend college and receive training to become officers. Notre Dame became the site for one such program. Not only did Notre Dame now have a much-needed influx of students preparing to become Naval officers, but the Navy also built a number of facilities on campus that served Notre Dame for years. It's safe to say that if it wasn't for the Navy and the Naval Academy, Notre Dame may not exist today.
Tale Of Two Halves The Navy offense has been dreadful on the first drive of the game, yet sensational on the first drive of the second half. In eight games this year, the Mids have scored two touchdowns and thrown four interceptions on the first drive of the game (four of Owens' eight interceptions have come on the first drive). Navy has scored on the first drive of the second half in six of the first eight games (four touchdowns and two field goals), including five-consecutive games (four touchdowns and one field goal).
The Red Zone Navy has scored 29 of the 36 times (81%) it has gotten inside the red zone, including 23 touchdowns (64%). The opponents have scored on 25 of their 32 opportunities in the red zone (78%) with 19 going for touchdowns (59%).
Navy Second In The Country In Rushing Offense Navy enters the Notre Dame game second in the country in rushing offense, averaging 281.63 yards per game. The Mids have never finished lower than third in the country in rushing during Paul Johnson's tenure at the Academy. Last year, the Mids finished third in the nation, averaging 289.50 yards per contest, while in 2003 the Mids led the nation in rushing, averaging a school-record 323.2 yards per game. In 2002, Johnson's first year at Navy, the Mids finished third in the nation in rushing, averaging 270.8 yards per contest.
Caldwell 11th In The Nation In Tackles Per Game; 15th In The Nation In Forced Fumbles Junior linebacker Rob Caldwell (St. John, Ind.) is tied for 11th in the nation in tackles per game, averaging 12 per contest. Caldwell, who entered the season with 15-career tackles, has recorded 98 tackles this season and is on pace for 134 tackles for the year. He has been in double figures in six-of-eight games this season. If Caldwell finishes the season as the team's leading tackler, it will mark the fourth-consecutive year and sixth time in the last 14 years that a player from the great state of Indiana has led Navy in tackles. Safety Josh Smith (Attica, Ind.) led Navy in tackles in each of the last three years, and Javier Zuluaga (Indianapolis, Ind.) led Navy in tackles in 1992 and 1993. Caldwell would also be the first linebacker to lead Navy in tackles since Clint Bruce in 1995 and 1996. Caldwell's 21 tackles against Air Force are the third most in the country this year and the most by a Navy player since Smith had 21 against Connecticut in 2002. Caldwell is also tied for 15th in the nation in forced fumbles, averaging 0.38 forced fumbles per contest.
Mahoney And Tidwell Spell Double Trouble Junior outside linebackers Tyler Tidwell (Edmond, Okla.) and David Mahoney (Fort Myers, Fla.) are amongst the national leaders in tackles for a loss. Tidwell is ranked 10th in the nation and Mahoney stands 15th. Tidwell, who entered the season with two tackles for a loss in his career, has recorded 13.5 tackles for a loss of 49 yards this season. Tidwell has been playing well of late, recording 7.5 tackles for a loss over the last three games. Mahoney, who entered the season with 14.5 tackles for a loss for his career and recorded a career-high 12 last year, already owns 12.5 tackles for a loss of 59 yards this year to give him 27 for his career. The school record for tackles for a loss in a season is 20, set by Eric Rutherford in 1984. The school record for tackles for a loss in a career is 44, set by Andy Person (1992-95).
Navy Tough On Punt Returners The Mids, led by their dimuntive gunners Reggie Campbell (5-6, Sanford, Fla.) and Zerbin Singleton (5-8, Decatur, Ga.), have been tough against opposing punt returners, allowing just 4.22 yards per return. The 4.22 yard average is the seventh-best average in the country. The Mids will be challenged this weekend as Notre Dame is ranked fourth in the country in punt returns, averaging 19.69 yards per return.
Disciplined Football Navy is back near the top in the national rankings for fewest penalties per game and fewest yards penalized per game. The Mids are eighth in fewest penalties per game (5.00 per contest) and sixth in yards penalized per game (37.75). Last year, Navy finished second in the country for the fewest amount of penalties per game (4.17) and fifth in fewest yards penalized per game (35.83).
Whittaker Sets Freshman Touchdown Record Freshman slot back Karlos Whittaker (North Chicago, Ill.) turned in his sixth touchdown of the season on a nine-yard run against Rutgers. Whittaker's six touchdowns this year are a school record for a freshman and are tied for the 16th most in the country by a freshman this year. He is averaging a touchdown once every 4.7 carries. Whittaker had scored in six-consecutive games, the longest streak by a Navy player since Brian Madden scored a touchdown in eight-consecutive games from 1999-2001 (Madden missed all of the 2000 season and the first three games of the 2001 season with a knee injury), before being shut out in the Tulane game. Whittaker became just the second freshman in school history (Alton Grizzard was the other) to rush for over 100 yards in a game when he rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries against Stanford. Grizzard rushed for 225 yards on 23 carries in 1987 against Penn. Whittaker has also started to become quite a threat on kickoff returns, averaging 25.2 yards per return, which is the fourth-best mark in school history. His 52-yard kickoff return against Rice was the longest by a Navy player since Aaron Weedo returned a kickoff 53 yards against Army in 2002.
In Paul We Trust... Navy football has struggled mightily over the last 21 years, compiling an overall record of 83-160 (.342). The Mids, however, have not struggled when Paul Johnson has been calling the plays. Johnson has been at Navy for six of those 21 years (two years as a coordinator and four as a head coach), and in those six years, the Mids are 39-29 (.574) and have appeared in three bowl games, winning two. The Mids are 23-10 (.697) over the last three years and have won 21 of the last 29 contests (.724).
On A Roll... Navy is 23-10 over the last three years (.697) after posting a 3-30 (.091) record the previous three years. The 23 wins are tied for the 20th most in the country over the last three seasons. The Mids are 13-2 (.867) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium over the last three years, after losing 14 straight at home the previous three years.
Tomlinson Records Back-To-Back 100-Yard Receiving Games Junior wide receiver Jason Tomlinson (Arlington, Texas) turned in back-to-back big games for the Midshipmen, catching four passes for a then career-high 114 yards and a touchdown against Air Force and catching five passes for a career-high 115 yards against Kent State. He is the first Navy player to top 100 yards receiving in back-to-back games since Ryan Read in 1998. His touchdown against the Falcons came on a 61-yard toss from Lamar Owens (Sr./Savannah, Ga.). It was the longest reception in Tomlinson's career and the longest play by Navy since last year's Emerald Bowl when Aaron Polanco hit Corey Dryden with a 61-yard touchdown pass against New Mexico. Tomlinson is averaging 17.7 yards per catch for his career, with 48 receptions for 851 yards. It's the fifth-best receiving average in school history.
Owens Putting Up Big Numbers... Senior quarterback Lamar Owens (Savannah, Ga.), who entered the season with 129-career rushing yards, rushed for 122 yards on 19 carries in his first-career start. Owens became just the 14th Navy quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in a game (54th time overall). He also joined Chris McCoy (26 carries for 273 yards on Sept. 9, 1995 at SMU) and Brian Madden (34 carries for 168 yards on Oct. 30, 1999 at Notre Dame) as the only Navy quarterbacks to rush for over 100 yards in their first-career start. Owens rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown against Duke and 110 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against Kent State, making him just the seventh quarterback in school history to rush for 100 yards in a game on three or more occasions. Owens has already amassed 1,521 yards of total offense (585 rushing and 936 passing) on just 225 plays. His 6.8 yards per play would tie him with Chris McCoy (1997) for the school record for average yards per play for a season and his 6.0 average yards per play for a career (1,616 yards in 268 plays) would also be a school record.
NCAA First Senior slot back Marco Nelson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) is the first player in NCAA history to return a fumble for a touchdown, score a rushing touchdown and catch a touchdown pass in the same game as he accomplished this feat in Navy's 41-38 loss to Stanford. Nelson returned a fumbled punt 19 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, scored on a one-yard run with 5:33 remaining in the second quarter and then caught a 54-yard touchddown pass from Lamar Owens in the fourth quarter (12:38). Nelson, who entered this season with just one-career touchdown, has four in the first two games. Nelson's fumble return for a touchdown was the first by a Navy player since Brad Wimsatt returned a fumble for a touchdown against Army on Dec. 2, 2000.
A's Make Plays Navy's slot backs, or A-Backs as they are called in the offense, have been big-play contributors in both the rushing and passing game. As a unit, the A-backs have rushed for 845 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 106 carries (8.0 yards per carry) and have caught 22 passes for 431 yards and two touchdowns (19.6yards per reception). All told, the slot backs have gained 1276 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on 128 touches (9.96 yards per touch).
Mr. October Sophomore slot back Reggie Campbell (So,/Sanford, Fla.) was Navy's Mr. October. Against Duke, Campbell ran the ball three times for 50 yards, including a career-long 52-yarder that set up Navy's go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. He had a huge game against Air Force, carrying the ball three times for 46 yards, including a game-tying 40-yard burst with just over two minutes remaining, and had three catches for 47 yards. He accounted for 69 yards on Navy's game-tying drive. Campbell had another strong game against Kent State, running eight times for 31 yards and catching two passes for 59 yards, including a career-long 44-yard catch. After a quiet game against Rice (20 yards rushing on four carries), Campbell came back against Rutgers and carried the ball four times for 69 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown run was a spectacular 60-yard run off an option pitch and was the longest run of his career, the longest run by a Navy player this year and the second-longest play by a Navy player this year. Campbell got November started right by rushing for 52 yards and a touchdown on five carries and catching one pass for 29 yards against Tulane.
Score First! Navy is 3-0 when scoring first this year and 2-3 when the opposition scores first. The Mids have won 10-consecutive games when scoring first, with the last loss coming in 2003 on Homecoming to Delaware.
Biles Playing Well Senior linebacker Jake Biles (Lorena, Texas) has recorded career highs in tackles in two of the last three games. Biles was in on a career-high tying 11 tackles in Navy's win over Rice (He also had 11 against Duke) and followed up with a career-high 14 tackles against Rutgers.
Lots Of Yards Navy amassed 532 yards of total offense against Kent State, the 23rd-most yards in school history and the most since last Nov. 20 when Navy produced 613 yards against Rutgers.
Ground Attack Navy's 418 yards rushing against Tulane ranks as the 15th-best rushing game in program history. It was the Mids' first 400-plus yard rushing game since last year's Rutgers contest when Navy rushed for 476 yards.
Bullen Automatic Navy sophomore kicker Joey Bullen (St. Simon's Island, Ga.) is 32 for 32 on extra-points this year. His 32 made extra-points ties him for fifth on Navy's single-season list with Tom Vanderhorst, who currently serves as the military liason for the football team.
Hall Has Breakout Game Junior fullback Matt Hall (Cape Coral, Fla.) became the first Navy fullback this year to top the 100-yard mark when he rushed for a career-high 122 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against Tulane.
Rossi Added To Rimington Trophy List Navy center James Rossi (Jr./Buda, Texas) has been added to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which is given to the nation's top center. Rossi, who has started all eight games for the Midshipmen, as helped pave the way for the nation's second-best ground game.
Sack By Tattersall Junior defensive end Andrew Tattersall (Fern Park, Fla.), who entered the Rutgers game with two career sacks, sacked Scarlet Knight quarterback Ryan Hart three times in the first half in Navy's 31-21 loss. His three sacks are a season high by a Navy player.
Throwing To The Wrong Jersey Navy quarterbacks have thrown 10 interceptions in seven games this season after throwing just four all of last season.
12th Mid Navy head football coach Paul Johnson announced Oct. 25 that tryouts for the 12th Mid will be held this Monday at 5:30 p.m. Each battalion (six) can submit three seniors for the tryouts and the midshipman that is selected will be part of the kickoff coverage team on Navy's first kickoff in the Temple game. The concept of a 12th Mid was hatched at Johnson's radio show last year when a midshipman proposed the idea to Coach Johnson. The idea came to fruition in Navy's final two home games of 2004 when John McClaughlin was a member of the kickoff team a
